The Rite
by DinoMaster316
Summary: Astrid must go through an Ancient Viking Tradition Called the Rite. She must be married and pregnant a few months from now. Will she be prepared for everything coming her way? Set in How To Train Your Dragon 2. Adopted from Cassmonsta.
1. Chapter 1

**The Rite**

**Chapter 1**

It had been years. Years since the Red Death. Years since Hiccup had miraculously turned his whole life upside down and Astrid was left utterly surprised. Happily surprised, but surprised nonetheless. She'd had barely a few hours to think through her feelings before they'd arrived back at Berk and she had refused to leave his side. All through the operation. Gobber wasn't the best healer, but the village healer had been killed in the chaos. His clumsy fingers almost caused Hiccup's death.

Astrids memories from that night were fuzzy. Mostly puckered skin, blood, and the sawing. Oh, the _sawing_.

Simply thinking of it now was making her lunch of cooked chicken and broth churn. Astrid clenched her teeth and flicked a strand of blonde hair out of her face. That particular strand was always getting in her field of view nowadays. Ever since she changed her hairstyle from a regular braid into an intricate side braid, a few locks of her golden hair constantly flew into her eyes.

Astrid sighed and kept walking. She was on her way to see Stormfly, since she had left her Deadly Nadder in her families stable.

Her hair wasn't the only change. Her outfit had altered, allowing her more protection for fighting. She was also, as the years had passed, older. This was probably the worst part of change.

_Growing older is terrible. I wish things could just.. stay the same for a while._

Astrids thoughts rushed through her head at the thought of age. Age meant birthdays. Birthdays meant a certain deadline was drawing nearer and nearer.

Astrid shuddered.

The certain deadline was Astrids bane of existence. Being eighteen and nine months old, meant that the 'Rite of Coupling' was almost always at the forefront of her mind.

The Rite was an ancient Viking tradition that all teenagers had to go through. Or, at least all females. Most males went through it around the same time as the females though. The rite states that all females of a Viking tribe were of marrying age as soon as they turned eighteen, and had to be married off by the time they were nineteen. And, to keep the floods of warriors coming, they also had to bear child by their anniversary.

This whole tradition thing meant Astrid must get married in the next three months, and be pregnant in six.

She was **so** not ready for this.

It wasn't that she didn't have a boyfriend. Hiccup was possibly the best boyfriend in the known universe. He was kind, clever, interesting and genuinely cared for her and the dragons.

Their relationship was as solid as could be. Hiccup was still adorably clueless about some things, but had grown more confident about others. It was one of the things Astrid adored about him. He was adaptable.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be with Hiccup for the rest of her life.

She felt something for him that she never had before, and every day it got stronger. Like he was a magnet and he was slowly growing more powerful. Like he was a lifeline in a vast ocean, or a cool drink of water in an arid desert, which Astrid had never seen.

It also wasn't that she didn't want a baby Hiccup. That picture was downright cute.

It was.. the other side of the same damn coin.

It was that Astrid didn't want to be a housewife. She wanted to be free and fight her own battles and do her own things. She wanted to be independent and also have her lover. Astrid couldn't picture herself as the caring wife, knitting torn clothing and cooking dinner every night. She couldn't picture herself gossiping with the other wives, or greeting Hiccup as he said 'Honey, I'm home!'.

Astrid couldn't. She wouldn't.

It was that she didn't think she could do it. As much as she acted confident and unswayable, this was something else altogether. When she first got her Menarche, her mother had explained things and she was so shocked and scared by everything. She still couldn't even imagine it, growing a tiny human in her flat stomach. Going through unimaginable pain and suffering to bring life into the world.

And not to mention the sex. Astrid was scared she wouldn't do things right, but at the same time she heard of the pleasure and wanted Hiccup to feel that she would give something that invaluable to him.

Astrid couldn't imagine being a mother. Caring after a small human was something she felt that she would be horrible at. Feeding them, walking them around town, having to teach them how to live. Letting them make their own mistakes. She would be so conflicted all the time and would probably give herself a heart attack.

Married in less than three months. Pregnant in less than six.

These thoughts all rushed through her head. Self-doubt, fear, longing, and uncertainty were just a few of her many emotions.

As usual, however, her emotions were almost completely locked away. She was a stone cold warrior.

_A stone cold warrior that would be married in a few months._

Odin's Beard, she had to stop thinking about it. Or think about it more, she didn't know anymore.

Through all her pondering and thoughts, her feet apparently changed their mind. She wasn't heading to her house any more, she was walking up the path to Hiccup's house.

Oh Thor, she didn't need to be here right now.

She needed to think things out on her own, and.. and.. Oh Thor almighty, Hiccup's head peers out of the window at the exact wrong moment.

His emerald eyes lock on hers and he smiles. His head removes itself from the window and before Astrid can think of an excuse to why she's up here, the door swings open.

"Astrid!"

Hiccups voice calls, a bit of excitement tinting his tone.

"Ah- Hiccup!" She waves, a little sheepish.

He gestures her inside and theres no backing out now.

Astrid walks in and smiles at him. She would normally give him a hug, but for some reason(hint hint everything else in the fic) her arms don't lift.

Hiccup instantly senses somethings wrong. She could swear that he's telepathic sometimes. Its not always a good thing. "Astrid, whats up?"

His worried tone cracks her tough exterior, but only a little. "Nothing, really." _Or a really big something. "_I just wanted to see you. Is it so wrong to come up here without problems?" A sarcastic smile graces her lips, but it isn't genuine.

"..Astrid." His eyes narrow. "What's going on? I know something's up. Not that I'd mind if you had come up here without problems. Which you do. Sometimes. But other times its with problems and I sit here just like now and you sit on the wooden stool and we talk about all the stuff-"

Her finger lightly touches his lips. She resists the urge to punch him out of his trance. "Hiccup. You're babbling again. Not that I mind. Its cute." A light blush settles on her cheeks, drifting right through her tough girl armor.

He stops talking, then smiles a little, removing her hand from his lips and catching it in between his own two hands. "So what's really going on? Don't 'oh, nothing' again, because you know I can tell." A little smugness comes in his voice when he mentions being able to read her.

"Yeah, well.." Astrid starts, then trails off. How is she supposed to talk about not wanting to marry her boyfriend or be pregnant, but also wanting to at the same time, _with her boyfriend_?

Hiccup waits patiently while she finds her words. Her lips quiver a bit, like they want to spill everything, but her head is telling them not to.

Apparently, her lips win.

"I.. just.. I don't think I'm ready!" She says at last.

Hiccup seems puzzled.

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"For this! For us! Or, no, that's not what I meant. Um.. crap. Okay, I'm not ready to be a housewife.. or a mother.. or the Rite or any of it! I don't think I'm mature enough to care for a child! I don't think I'm ready for marriage, even though I really want to be with you. I'm just so unsure of myself, and the Rite's in a couple months, and you're already eighteen, and there's nothing putting it off! Unless I'm being too forward, and you weren't going to ask me to marry you and I'm just being an idiot-"

It was Astrid's turn to have a finger on her lips.

He chuckles a little.

"You find this funny!? I-"

Astrids outburst was cut off by Hiccups next words.

"Astrid.. Did you seriously think that I wasn't thinking of you when I thought of who I was going to marry? I have since I was twelve! And I know that's kind of weird, seeing as we've only been dating for four years and.. well, I'm getting off track. Astrid, I love you. More than you could ever know. I love you with everything I have, and I couldn't live if something happened to you. The Rite isn't just to force teenagers like us into marriage, It's also to ensure that couples like us get time as a husband and wife, because, look at my dad, one of us could die very early on in life! How could you be unsure of yourself, Astrid? You're the most beautiful, intelligent and tough girl I've ever seen. You're strong and you can get through anything. I have no doubt you'll be one of the best mothers around. Who's the top female Viking probably in the whole world? I'll give you a hint. I love her."

Astrid took several seconds to absorb this whole speal.

"H-hiccup.." Her face was set in awe and shock and love.

"Yeah?"

"I love you so much right now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Silence.

This is not what Hiccup wanted to hear.

He had just stuttered out words he never, ever thought he'd be able to say.

"Astrid Hofferson, will you marry me?"

In hindsight, they may have been easier than what he had originally thought, but it was still probably the hardest thing he'd ever done up until a few seconds later.

Harder than fighting the Red Death, harder than standing up to his father, harder than training Toothless.

But not as hard as the silence afterwards.

The silence dragged, felt like hours and hours. Hours of keeping his position with one knee on the houses rough wooden floor and his artificial leg digging into his bent knee, waiting for her answer. The pressure and slight pain didn't even register in his brain. He was so numb. He should have known the answer and why she was silent, but the quiet, instead of allowing him to hear clearly, drowned him and made it impossible to hear at all. It's a hard feeling to explain, the lack of sound being so deafening.

In reality, it was mere seconds.

Before any sign of affection or intimacy, Astrid would always punch him. Always.

But not this time.

Instead, Hiccup's eyes widened as she bunched her knees and sprung at him, tackling him to the oak floor. Her lips met his and the ring that Hiccup's own hands had slaved over tumbled to the ground, forgotten for the moment. Hiccups hands instead wound themselves in her blonde braid and he kissed her back passionately, his eyes closing.

And that's why his eyes were the only thing in his body that didn't feel what she said next.

"Yes." She murmured against his lips.

Hiccup's whole body rejoiced, feeling Astrid laying on top of him, his mouth tasting hers, his nose smelling her familiar scent and his ears hearing the news first.

Astrid's arms removed themselves from settled on Hiccup's chest and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer if it was even possible.

They kissed heatedly, not going much further for a good two minutes before a loud thumping sound came from outside.

Hiccup had proposed just inside Astrids house, and so they were collapsed together on the floor right in front of the large wooden door. And from the racket outside, someone heavy was coming up the stairs and about to come in.

The couple fought desperately to untangle themselves in the few seconds they had, but were barely separate from the waist down* when the door swung open.

Their eyes shot up in terror to see Astrid's father looming above them.

"Astrid."

"Dad!" Astrid squeaked out. "It's not- we didn't-" She stammered, looking frightened.

Astrid grappled for words, trying to explain this inappropriate-looking situation to her father before he got the wrong idea or banished Hiccup or pummeled him to little bits and pieces.

Before finishing her sentence, Astrid straightened herself and stood, yanking Hiccup to his feet quickly, but not before Hiccup grabbed the ring.

"Astrid.. I take it that you said yes?"

A beat of silence came into the room.

Hiccup watched amusedly as Astrid gaped at her father, then looked at Hiccup accusingly.

"Did I.. What?"

"I asked him beforehand Astrid. You know, fathers blessing and all that." Hiccup chuckled slightly.

Astrid let out a huge breath of air and turned back to her father.

"Yeah, dad. I said yes."

"That's my girl! You know, Hiccup wasn't such a catch a couple years ago, but he's since proven himself worthy of my little Astrid-"

"Dad!" Astrid snapped, a bit of color tinting her cheeks. "C'mon Hiccup, lets go for a ride."

Hiccup was quickly pulled out of the door and towards the stables beside the Hofferson house. A grin was stretching his lips as he watched his girlfriend.. no.. Fiancee! Drag him towards her dragon.

Astrid turned to face him when they were safely inside Stormfly's stable.

The dragon was lazily picking and preening at its scales, but had perked up considerably upon seeing her rider.

Astrid punched Hiccup in the –still rather skinny- arm.

"Ow!"

"That's for not telling me you'd already asked my dad."

"Well that seems hardly fair-"

Astrid pulled him to her for a quick kiss.

"And that's for popping the question." She smiled, but Hiccup could tell, even two months from the original incident, that she was nervous.

"Don't think of this whole thing as something old and moldy villagers like Mildew are making us do. Don't think that this is some stupid tradition forcing us to get married."

"Oh wow, Hiccup. You're really wooing me with all this romantic talk."

The sarcasm from Astrid's end was unexpected, seeing as sarcasm was one of Hiccups main personality traits.

"Instead, think about how even if the Rite didn't exist, I still probably would have asked you for your hand this year or the next.

"Really?"

"You're very good at having faith in me, Astrid."

Astrid turned to her dragon, but didn't leave quite yet.

"And you love me for it."

Then, grinning, she turned around halfway and held out her left hand.

Hiccup understood almost immediately what she meant by this gesture, and fumbled slightly with his hands to produce the ring he had fashioned earlier this month.

This was the first time Astrid had actually gotten a good look at the ring. It was a silvery metal, twining around the base with a deep blue stone that stone brightly in even dim light. It was beautiful, and Astrid couldn't believe Hiccup had fashioned it with his own hands.

He slipped it onto her finger, and unexpectedly, Astrid reached inside her saddlebag on Stormfly and came out with an engagement ring for the male.

She put it on Hiccup, her fingers strong and sure.

Her voice told a different story. One of certainty, but also caution and fear.

"T-there. Now its official."

Before Hiccup could respond, a chuckle reached his ears.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, I did. Like.. a laugh, or something?"

Astrid's eyes narrowed and her gaze locked on three barrels of fish.

Upon closer inspection, the barrels seemed to be vibrating a little.

Astrid stepped closer to the barrels, creeping around silentely until she was behing them. Then she kicked them over.

Hiccup gaped as the twins and Snotlout all fell out of separate barrels.

Snotlout landed on top of Ruffnut, who landed on top of Tuffnut.

"Ohh… Hey, guys! Astrid, Hiccup.." Snotlout tried to smile sheepishly.

Astrid walked around the heap of her friends and made a noise almost like a growl.

All of them gulped.

Before Hiccup could blink, Astrid yelled "Get OUT of my stable!" And tossed them all out with strong arms and a stronger warrior yell.

Hiccup couldn't even take a breath before the twins were up and running, with Snotlout trailing behind, working his shorter legs harder just to keep up.

"Back to our conversation, I'll meet you on Mount scale at nightfall, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Toothless will love the night time flight."

Astrid smiled, then climbed up on Stormfly.

"Bye!" Stormfly seemed overexcited to get out of the stables, and leapt into the air, eager to get into the high island skies.

Hiccup shook his head, looking at the shrinking form of a dragon carrying the girl he loved.

He started walking back to his house, allowing himself a little 'Woo hoo!'. He had just proposed. To Astrid. Then had a heated make out session. Despite the interruption by the twins and Snotlout, Hiccup couldn't really see how this day could get any better.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Ouch! OUCH! Ease up, Ruffnut! OW! I will personally rip- OW! –Your hair out for this!"

Astrid was leaning against her bedpost, back pressing up against the ribbed wood. She was wearing an uncharacteristically tight dress, made of fine white fabric.

The dress itself was ankle-length in the front and beyond her feet in the back, with light yellow trim of a thicker material. The fact that it was asymmetrical intrigued Astrid. She'd never really seen anything like it before. She really just assumed the maker had accidentally chopped too much off on one side and decided to go with it, but it ended up looking nice. It had three-quarter sleeves, also adorned with gold trim. The line of yellow then laced up her arms to her shoulders and rested slightly off of them. The neckline dipped lower than Astrid would wear under normal circumstances and laced in the front down to the middle of her hips.

It was her wedding dress.

The lacing in the front, while pretty on the hanger, was absolutely torturous.

Ruffnut didn't seem to understand how she was supposed to do it up. Astrid had a thin waist already, she didn't need the corset much, but Ruff insisted it wasn't tight enough.

The blonde had been pulling on those strings, trying to squeeze the life out of Astrid for almost a half hour now.

"Oh please, you asked for this!"

"Thor almighty, I didn't ask for _this_!"

"Suck it up, fifl." (**fifl means idiot or wimp)**

"Don't you dare- Ow!" Astrid sucked air, desperately trying to inflate her seemingly crushed lungs.

Astrid wheezed. "I can't breathe!" Her voice was strangled and quiet.

Of course that was when Ruffnut decided to finish tying the loop with clumsy fingers and exclaim, "Its perfect!"

Astrid glared at her best female friend. "This is literally suffocating me!"

Ruffnut sneered. "You look good. You know, for a rough and tumble female Viking warrior."

Astrid clenched her hands into fists. "I'm about to look not-so-good in your eyes, because you won't _have_ any!"

Ruffnut grinned widely. "Now is that any thanks for making you look your best before your wedding to the love of your life?" A sickly sweet tone entered Ruffnut's tone at the love part, and Astrid paused. It almost sounded like Ruffnut was jealous, or at least bitter about being single. It was funny how a few words and a tone of voice could completely throw Astrid off her train of mind. She was a bit disoriented, when Ruffnut pushed her, hard, towards the dusty mirror in Astrid's room.

"Dude, See for yourself."

Astrid glared at Ruffnut another time before glancing in the mirror.

She actually looked pretty damn good.

Her waist pinched in perfectly, hips flaring out nicely, and her small chest looked pretty good in the corset.

She turned and admired herself from all angles, side braid swishing around her shoulder. "Well, I suppose I can forgive you for now.. Just do this again on the actual day."

Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, princess. Now take that dress off and get out there before Hiccup has a heart attack."

Astrid almost got angry, but then at the last part of the sentence chuckled.

Her mother had scheduled a dress fitting with a female friend so Astrid could rehearse looking her best. Ruffnut translated that into 'suffocate Astrid until she can't breathe' and enthusiastically stepped up to the challenge.

Hiccup came to the house to help, but then Astrid's mother insisted upon the tradition of fiancée's never seeing each other in wedding attire until the actual day of the real nuptials.

So Hiccup was forced to wait outside for the half hour that Astrid had been loudly screaming and threatening Ruffnut with what little air she could gather in her lungs. Hiccup was sure Astrid could be heard by the whole village.

It was amusing to Ruffnut that Hiccup knocked on the door at least twice every five minutes asking if everything was all right.

Astrid fumbled with the knot and got Ruffnut to pull on the strings to release her. She immediately felt so much better and climbed out of the dress. Although the dress was soft, Astrid felt much more comfortable in her regular clothing. She found the pile of clothes in the corner of her own room and quickly slipped them on. She fastened the final shoulder plate on herself and opened the heavy wooden door.

Hiccup was pacing outside.

"Hey." She smiled, flicking a piece of blonde hair out of her eyes, brushing her side braid a little more on her shoulder with the same movement. Hiccup's dark emerald eyes darted up to meet her and instant relief flooded through them.

"Hey, Astrid. What happened in there? Why were you-?"

Astrid shook her head. "The dress is kind of complicated and Ruff forgot that I sort of need to breathe."

Hiccup nodded, though Astrid could tell he was still a bit confused. She crossed the room and grasped his forearm. "Lets go for a flight, I need some dragon therapy."

"Good idea." Hiccup grinned fully and walked with her out of the door, his artificial leg making little 'chink' noises against the wood and its own hinges.

Astrid glanced up at her lover, a little bit worried. "Is your leg okay? You were standing for a long time."

Hiccup blinked, as if a little startled she'd ask such a question. "Uh, yeah, I'm pretty good. It hurts a little, but nothing I can't handle. Besides, its just chafing a little. A big, strong Viking like me can bear it." Hiccup flexed then, and Astrid chuckled.

Hiccup still wasn't normal Viking size, but he had muscles. They weren't nonexistent like they had been when he was younger. He was probably three inches shorter and eighty pounds lighter than an average Viking, but that was just how Astrid liked him. He didn't have to compete size-wise with the other men. He was the dragon trainer, the boy everyone talked about who had grown into a man.

Suddenly, Astrid felt a surprising calm come over her. How could she have ever been afraid of marrying Hiccup? He was just as nervous as she was and twice as kind. They would get through this, and maybe even enjoy it, together.

Astrid smiled happily and walked a little closer to her fiancée.

Hiccup smiled down at her and led the way to Astrid's stable, where both Stormfly and Toothless were likely to be.

Toothless had taken a liking to Stormfly, being with the female dragon most of his free time when he wasn't flying through the sky with Hiccup as his rider.

Astrid stepped inside the stable, maybe one foot ahead of Hiccup. She grinned as Stormfly stood quickly and excitedly ran over to her rider.

Toothless followed just as quickly and nearly tackled Hiccup to the ground.

"Hey bud."

"Stormfly!" Astrid giggled at Stormfly's nuzzling of her arm and scratched her behind the head spikes.

Astrid climbed on the back of her dragon, placing her feet behind notches in the saddle so she wouldn't fall off.

Toothless bent so Hiccup could climb aboard, making his saddle visible. Hiccup threw a leg over the side of his dragon and hopped onto him.

The dragons seemed eager to fly, and on their riders mark, raced out of the stable and leapt into the air.

The pair of dragons soared into the air, gaining height and distance from Astrid's house. Astrid watched as her village and her people shrunk beneath Stormfly. Her dragon carried her far up into the air, eventually slowing once through the clouds, Hiccup and Toothless just in front of them.

Hiccup's hair was flying back, the tiny braid near his neck whipping around his face. Astrid laughed joyously and let her arms trail in the sunset clouds surrounding them and their dragons.

The pink and orange mist swirled around her palms before dissipating into the air. She continued feeling the wet, billowing clouds with her hands, similar as to how she had done the first time she had flown, on Toothless with Hiccup guiding his new friend.

Astrid remembered how afraid she was at first.

But now.. well, she trains dragons, she's got a Deadly Nadder named Stormfly and a famous dragon trainer fiancée.

Astrid was coming to terms with the Rite, and thinking about it, the two weeks until the wedding would surely pass in no time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It had passed in no time.

Ruffnut had kept her promise to the absolute best of her ability, successfully choking any air out of Astrid's lungs with the pretty dress.

Then Ruff had handed her off to her mother, who had styled Astrid's hair in an intricate bun settled at the nape of her neck, with little strands hanging out in places, framing her face.

And in the present, Astrid was hyperventilating.

"Ohmygodsimgettingmarriedtohiccupinliketwominutesa ndidontthinkimreadyand-"

"Snap out of it, Astrid!" Ruffnut grabbed Astrid's unarmored shoulders and shook the blonde roughly, a few more strands falling out of her bun.

"Yeah.. ye-yeah.. Okay." Astrid breathed in and out, as best as she could in the constricting corset. Her expression calmed, and one of her thin arms reached out to take the bouquet her mother had plucked from around Berk.

Her mother stuck her head in the room. "Astrid. Come down the aisle in a minute, everyone's ready." Her blonde hair whipped around as she turned, shut the door, and left.

Astrid gulped. "Marriage. I.. I'm ready for this."

Ruffnut rolled her eyes. "Of course you are. You're Astrid. I'm more worried about dragon-boy in the next room; He must be shaking in his boots." Ruffnut chuckled and waved, and she left too.

And then it was just Astrid.

She fidgeted with a piece of her hair, and then dropped it. **Everyone's waiting.**

Another breath out.

Astrid moved her feet and positioned herself to open both of the large wooden doors at the same time, while still having the bouquet tucked neatly in the crook of her arm.

Blue eyes closed, blue eyes open.

Astrid pushed the doors open, both dramatically swooping open and quietly hitting the walls beside them.

The doors revealed the Great Hall, but not.

Astrid had only seen the Great Hall like this a few times. Each of them were weddings, but never this extravagant. Or rather, as extravagant as Vikings got. Huge red banners with skulls and striped painted in white coral paint hung from the rafters. A _huge_ table had been positioned just off-center a few meters from the aisle. The table was laden with so much food Astrid thought it could surely feed a thousand starving dragons. Shells from the beach were strung up around the entrance and lined the aisle, directing the bride(her) to the altar. The altar where Stoick and Hiccup were waiting.

A small part of Astrid's brain registered that Stoick was the pastor, but the rest was focused on every detail of herself and Hiccup.

The corset still choked her, but it seemed to be less painful as she looked at her fiancée, her soon-to-be-husband. Hiccup was wearing a slightly-too-large light brown fur cape, a very light grey tunic with black leggings and his regular brown boot.

He was standing with his chest slightly puffed out, as if trying to seem like a more suitable Viking husband, but it didn't help with the thin image.

Astrid didn't care.

All she could see was how his features were smooth and sloping, rather than bulging and overwhelming. He stood out against the Viking background by _being Hiccup. _She could only see him. His face, emerald eyes sparkling, as they looked right into her blue orbs. Astrid caught her breath and she began walking. She held her bouquet in front of her waist gingerly, not wanting to crush the flowers.

But at the same time, she was trying to concentrate on everything else. Her father, in all his tall blonde vikingness, walked up beside her and led her down the aisle. Every step made Astrid more anxious and excited and nervous and she was just so emotional.

Astrid chastised herself. She couldn't start crying before she even made it to Hiccup. She was a tough warrior woman. Not a silly blubbering bride.

She was focused on Hiccup's eyes, his smile, where she would place her feet to face him.

She was so focused she nearly began jogging. But it had only been a half a second of Astrid's speed increasing before a sharp tug from her father to make her realize what she'd been doing. She gave him a slight aggravated look before slowing her steps again.

Before she even knew what had happened, she was at the altar. She was looking up the three inches to Hiccup's eyes, the three inches Astrid knew Hiccup was proud of.

Astrid gave her almost-husband a genuine smile for the first time in the forty or so seconds that the doors had been open. He seemed reassured by this show of emotion from her and relaxed ever so slightly.

Astrid looked down, also for the first time since the doors opened, as Hiccup took her hands in his. Stoick began reading the Viking vows and the village oath.

As much as Astrid wanted to remember every moment of this wedding, she couldn't help but get lost in Hiccup's green eyes, which were staring right back at her own eyes. The vows blurred in her ears and the whole few minutes of reading off the slab was shortened into a few measly seconds of gazing into Hiccup's eyes and silence swirling around her. Then Astrid could see, out of her peripheral vision, Hiccup's lips moving. He was saying something. _Come on, Astrid, listen! _She ended up catching the end of '-I do.'

Then Stoick was addressing her. "Do you, Astrid Hofferson, take this man, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, to be your husband? In sickness and in health? Will you honor and love him your entire life, until death do you part?"

Of course that's when Astrid's throat caught. Of course she did. Of course. Whom else would she pledge herself to so willingly?

"I do."

Her voice rang out true and strong throughout the Great Hall. It held such power and emotion that even Stoick was struck by the gravity in her tone.

"Then, I hereby pronounce you Husband and Wife-"

Astrid couldn't help herself. She punched Hiccup in the shoulder, which sent him reeling back slightly. But she caught him just a second after, and in a true prince-dipping-the-princess style(though reversed gender roles), she kissed him.

Blush tinted Hiccup's cheeks, she could tell that much. But immediately after, Hiccup kissed her back passionately, standing straight and swooping her legs off the ground. Astrid's legs dangled for only a second, as then Hiccups arm went under them and swept her into his arms.

This position broke their kiss, and they couldn't even tear their eyes off each other long enough to beam at the roaring crowd, though the sound registered in both their minds.

Astrid was smiling so wide it almost hurt. "I love you."

"I know." Hiccup replied, and then Astrid experienced a moment of shock. "And I love you too. So much." Her body relaxed again, her own mind teasing her about how she had actually thought that Hiccup would do that to her.

He seemed to realize her previous discomfort and kissed her cheek reassuringly.

Her smile hadn't faded anyways.

Hiccup carried his new bride to the head of the table and they both sat.

Astrid smiled at everyone, tearing her eyes away from Hiccup to see all the village gathering around the large table and cheering.

If you've never seen a huge crowd of Vikings celebrating a wedding, you can't possibly imagine it.

The Vikings were all yelling at the top of their lungs, some jumping around, some were hitting the walls with the butt's of their weapons, others were punching each other enthusiastically. It was utter chaos. Just an average chief's son's wedding around Berk.

The following hours, as the wedding had occurred in the morning, were full of eating and drinking and most definitely a lot of dancing. As the sun set and the time grew into the night, the newlyweds decided they would go to their new house, sixty yards up the hill from the Chief's house.

They had both been drinking, but had made sure to stay sober enough for what they were about to do.

The couple walked up the steps, before Hiccup scooped Astrid up in his arms and carried her through the premesis. "Standard pro-protocol, Astrid." He smiled, almost a little smug.

They reached the bedroom, and Astrid took one look at it.

She didn't care about the decorations much, she glanced at the bed then back at Hiccup, whom was setting her down.

Before he could react, she shoved him towards the bed.

The back of his knees hit the corner of the bed, causing him to flatten on the bed.

Astrid crawled overtop of him and kissed him hard; She got so much passion and love back that it made her dizzy.

Hiccup's hands reached up. One tangled itself in her hair, loosening the bun. The other reached a little farther down and-


End file.
